


Rescue

by RottenMint



Series: Paternal Instincts [14]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Head Injury, Lotor gives concerning warnings, Rescue, Sort Of, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 13:32:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19395157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RottenMint/pseuds/RottenMint
Summary: Lotor's words prove false when the Paladins come for Keith.





	Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> I said I'd update this eventually, right?

The sword sings through the air and Keith can only think _this is it_. 

Two of the generals will bear witness to his death, his slaughter, on the floor of their ship. Lotor's eyes are cold and hard and unforgiving. Keith doesn't know what kind of life any of them must have had, what they've done in the name of the Empire, to be unwavering in murder. 

The ship rocks violently, causing Lotor to lose his footing. The sword slips from his grasp to the floor with a clatter. Keith could weep with relief, but he's too busy trying to find out what's going on as he, too, is tossed to the side. 

"How did they find us?" Lotor demands. Blearily Keith wonders, _who?_ In the wake of whatever sent him tumbling his head hit the floor, which can't be good for his already aggravated head injury.

Lotor is standing behind Zethrid's chair, hands gripping it so tight his claws are putting tears in the fabric. His focus is on whatever is beyond the bridge window, and not, Keith realizes, on him, or the sword. That clears Keith's head a bit. Careful and slow, he begins to pull himself across the floor. 

If he can get the sword and get away, he can- hopefully- get the restraints off. Then he'll be mobile and armed until he can find his armour. 

He manages to make it to the sword despite the ship's continual shifts and judders, which he now realizes is enemy fire. Keith pushes himself to his feet and can't help but look- and nearly drops the sword in shock at what he sees. The castle and the lions. They came for him. He can only stare for a tic, so relieved and happy. Keith’s skin starts to crawl and he whips his head to the side.

One of Lotor's generals is staring at him. 

It’s the blue one- Acxa, he remembers.. Her blaster is at her side, finger curled around the trigger. Keith waits, silent, breaking into a cold sweat. She could take the shot, and she knows it. There's no way he's fast enough to avoid it like this. Acxa's gaze bores into him, her frown deepening. 

Then she looks away, back at the Castle of Lions, and does nothing. Keith knows better than to stick around, shuffling backwards to the door of the bridge. 

His plan works perfectly. Too busy giving orders and planning a counterattack, Lotor doesn’t notice his escape. Now, in the halls, Keith doesn't know where to go. Running around blind won't do much good, especially when Lotor or one of the other generals realizes he's missing. Unfortunately, he has no other choice. 

With careful maneuvering, Keith manages to cut the cords of his cuffs. At least if he's caught again, he'll be able to fight. 

He hurries down the hallways, stopping at each door he finds. Unlike the doors on other Galra ships, these ones do not recognize his Galra blood, and don't open. Keith swears under his breath. There's nowhere he can hide, and by now Lotor must be looking for him. He swears again and keeps moving. 

Soon he comes across a door that has a code to unlock it instead of a scanner. With no other choice, Keith punches the keypad until it breaks. The door pops open the slightest bit, and Keith wedges himself in the opening, pushing it the rest of the way open. Purple light filters in and reflects off something shiny- _his armour_. 

Keith stumbles towards it, dropping the sword as he reaches for his helmet. He can already hear the voices of his teammates over the comms.

"-eith? Keith are you there?" Allura's frantic voice filters through as he shoves the helmet on. 

"Allura! Allura, listen-" A heavy weight knocks Keith to the floor. Above him, Lotor snarls, and the cold metal of the sword presses to his neck. 

"Not another word." He growls. 

"Tell him I wish to speak to him," Allura says, steadfast, "tell him I want to make a deal." Her voice rings with authority. Keith hesitates. Yes, Allura has given him a command, but so has Lotor- and his life is currently in Lotor's hands. "Keith." Allura’s tone comes with more force, leaving no room for argument. 

He looks over his shoulder at Lotor, starting slow, in case Lotor decides he's had enough. 

"Princess Allura wants to speak to you." Yellow eyes narrow in suspicion. Lotor removes Keith’s helmet with a rough tug, one-handed. Even with Keith trapped and weakened beneath him, Lotor won't put down the sword. 

"Princess Allura of Altea," his voice is faux syrupy sweet, "how-" Keith can't help his smile as Allura cuts him off. The expression on Lotor's face is priceless. A few tics have gone by when Lotor laughs. 

"You wouldn't. You'd risk-" she cuts him off again, but this time the protests of the other Paladins filter through the comms. The ship shudders. Keith can hear Acxa barking orders from the bridge. Clearly Lotor is not one to lose, as the raw hatred in his voice is tangible when he says, "very well." Allura says something else, and the chatter from the other Paladins disappears. 

Lotor stands, removing Keith's helmet with an over dramatic flourish. He then begins gathering Keith's armour and shoving it towards him. Keith doesn't dare ask, just puts it on as quickly as he can. Once he's finished, Lotor grips his bicep with bruising force. 

"Know this, Keith," Lotor says as he manhandles him down a hallway, "giving you death would've been a mercy. I can protect you, and it is obvious your other Paladins cannot. Watch your back more carefully, and beware of the Witch." The look he levels Keith with is sincere and somber. "She can never know what you are." 

Before Keith can demand answers, he's shoved out an airlock. He spins, stars hurtling past his vision. He vomits into his mouth and forces himself to swallow. The last thing he needs now, spinning out of control in space, is to vomit in the only thing allowing him to breathe. 

Luckily he doesn't have to wait long for rescue. Red snags him in her mouth and Lance says something that Keith can't make out- he's so, so tired... 

"Stay with me, buddy," Lance says, then to someone else, "get a pod ready for him. He's in really bad shape. A head injury for sure, and-" Keith stops listening. He's safe now. He's heading back to the castle, back to his pack, and everything's going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'd like to thank everyone who's still reading despite how long it took me to post this update. I meant it when I said I intend to finish this series, and I will. However, due to several factors, I cannot guarantee when updates will come. I start college soon and will be quite busy with that. Also, unless I feel inspired and passionate about what I'm writing, it doesn't really get written, hence the delay of this update.
> 
> Once again, thanks to those who stuck with me! Come chat with me @clever-canadian-goose on tumblr.


End file.
